INTRODUCTION:
When we went to the archive, we found some old documents, which
contained surnames of la Bisbal and its surroundings. These documents
date back to theXVth century. So, some of them were spoiled. It
was very difficult to read them. We joined the most habitual surnames
and we classifed them this way: villages, places, trees and plants,
animals colours, names professions, seasons. There were some surnames
that often appeared and we put them in" others".
VILLAGES:
REGENCÓS: Village of El Baix Empordà in the west of Begur
Massif about 15 km from la Bisbal. Nowadays is a touristic place
because there are a lot of ostriches.
CASSÀ DE LA SELVA: Village of Gironés, near the Gavarres
there are 6626 habitants. There are forests, agriculture, animals.
GIRONÈS: Is a region of Catalonia. The people who live
in this area were called after this place.
BARCELÓ: Came from Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia.
The surname came from the people who lived there and settled down
here.
FIGUERAS: Town and capital of L'Alt Empordà. In the center
of a valley, near Manol river. It is near the French border.
CASTELLÓ: Village of L' Alt Empordà, near la Muga river
and near the bay of Roses by the cost so there are a lot of tourists
in Summer.
ANGLÈS: Village of La Selva on the right of the Ter river.
RUPIT: Village of Osona in the Collsacabra mountains,
there are mountains, forests.It is an original village so it is
a remarkable tourist resort.
COLLELL: It is a Sanctuary in a village called St. Ferriol
in the Garrotxa region.
ULLÀ: Village of El Baix Empordà on the left bank of
the river Ter.
LLAGOSTERA: Village of Gironès. There is a Romanesque
church.
SERRA: Village of El Baix Empordà nerar the Ter and the
Daró river.
RIPOLL: Village of Ripollès. Ther is an important monastery
that is the most important tourist attraction.
We imagine that these surnames came from the different villages.
The people who had these surnames must have their origins in those
villages. Some of them still exist today. For example Sebrià,
Gironès, Barceló, Figueras, Torroella, Castelló,
Ripoll. There are changes in some of them for example:
Colell (Cullell) and Rejencós (Regencós).
PLACES:
- Bosch ( Forest )
- Pla ( Smooth )
- Plana ( Smooth)
- Estanyol ( Wathertight )
- Prats ( Fields )
- Bassa ( Pool )
- Puig ( Mount )
- Palau ( Palace )
- Riera (Torrent )
- Molins ( Mill )
- Castell ( Castle )
- Pons ( Bridge )
- Platja ( Beach )
- Vila ( Village )
- Costa (Coast )
- Mas ( Cottage )
- Al mar ( Sea )
- Forn ( Kiln )
- Font ( Fountain)
These surnames are related to geographic accidents and buildings.
The greatest part of them are known today in la Bisbal. There
haven´t been any changes in them for the last centuries.
TREES AND PLANTS:
- Farigola ( Thyme)
- Canya ( Reed )
- Vinyes ( Vineyards)
- Pins ( Pine tree)
- Silvestre ( W ild )
- Roure ( Oak )
- Oliver/a ( Olive tree)
- Alzina ( Holm Oak)
-Morera (Blackberry bush)
- Perer (Pear tree)
FARIGOLA: Thymus vulgaris. Aromatic plant about 10-30
cm tall. They live in a dry, western mediterranean places. It
is an excellent medicinal plant.
VINYES: Its fruit is the grape. The grape is used to make
wine.
SILVESTRE: It is an adjective that is used to describe
the plants wihch grow in the forests.
OLIVERA: A tree with a thick trunk and white smooth flowers.
Its fruits are olives. The olives are used to make oil.
CANYA: Plant that grows by the river, it is used to protect
the land from the erosion.
PINS: Its fruit is the pinecone. There are different pines:
white pine, black pine, ruddy pine, American pine, Canary pine,
Austrian pine.
ROURE: Its fruits is the acom. The oak is about 15-40
cm tall. It has wavy leaves. It lives in mild areas.
ALZINA: Its fruit is the acom. It lives in the Mediterranean
zone and itstrunk is used to get wood.
MORERA: Tree with the nip leaves and its fruit is the
blackberry.
PERER: Tree with white flowers. Its fruit is the pear.
ANIMALS:
- Bou
- Corder We only found two animals surnames and actually
only one exist. This is Bou.
COLOURS:
- Ros ( Fair )
- Bru ( Dark )
- Roig ( Ruddy )
- Negre ( Black )
- Blanch ( White )
There are five colours surnames. Actually they are habitual and
only one of them has been changed. This is Negrell ( Negre
).
PROFESSIONS:
- Ferrer ( Smith )
- Braser
- Çabater/ Sabater ( Shoemaker )
- Fuster ( Carpenter )
- Teixidor ( Weaver )
- Metje/Metge ( Doctor )
-Carnicer ( Butcher )
- Barber ( Barber )
- Oller
- Batlle ( Mayor )
- Pellicer
- Marquès ( Marquis )
- Canonge ( Canon )
- Monjo ( Monk )
- Pagès ( Farmworker )
- Pedrer (Stoneworker)
- Sastre ( Tailor )
All of them are craft professions. The most habitual are: Ferrer,
Teixidor, Pagès, Fuster and Pellicer. A religious professions
are: Canonge and Monjo. An important profession is Batlle
and Metge. There aren't femenin professions. The most of
them are known today and some of them have changed:Sabater
( Shoemaker ) Metja ( Doctor )
SEASONS:
- Nadal (Christmas )
- Gener ( January )
- Pascual (Eastern Time)
- Maig ( May )
Today only Nadal and Pasqual are used. They are religious periods.
NAMES:
- Joan ( John )
- Andreu ( Andrew )
- Miquel ( Michael )
- Salvador
- Martí (Martin)
- Bartomeu
- Simón ( Simon )
- Lluís (Lewis)
- Blay
- Mateu
- Ramón
- Roger (Roger)
- Pol
- Fina
Surnames that are family names. The most habitual are Andreu,
Miquel. All of them are biblical names except for Blay and
Pol. Perhaps is the name of the father used as a surname.
OTHERS:
- Cendre
- Says
- Bofill
- Ponç
- Gispert
- Sureda
- Camós
- Soler
- Romaguera
- Real
- Bonet
- Moret
- Llobras
- Boscar
- Mascort
- Arbonès
- Geli
- Dolça
- Cals
- Gilbert
- Belloch
- Canté
- Vidal
- Vives
- Bespra
- Poch
- Bruguera
- Sebeya
- Albertí
- Moratell
- Gros
- Fontanella
- Sunyer
- Dalmau
- Comes
- Anglada
- Marquès
- Borrell
- Garriga
- Reixach
- Martorell
- Serradel
- Banyeras
- Guixard
- Matas
It Is difficult to classify them because their meaning is confusing,
but they are used today.
